Preimplantation genetic diagnosis

Some couples have a higher tendency in having certain genetic conditions passed on to their children, increasing their chance of a pregnancy loss or having a child with a disease such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis. Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, or PGD, technology improves the likelihood of a successful pregnancy by avoiding the tested conditions in the embryos in theIn-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) laboratory before the embryos are transferred to the patient. We perform PGD with IVF cycles in couples who are at risk for passing on an inherited genetic disease to their offspring and help them to achieve their goal of having a healthy baby. PGD is performed as a part of an in vitro fertilization cycle. At first, multiple eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilized with the male partner's sperm in the laboratory. Usually, after the third day of development after retrieval, in embryos which are usually 6-8 cells, one or two cells are removed from each embryo through a procedure called an embryo biopsy. These cells are analyzed in the PGD laboratory to determine which embryos are free of the questioned genetic abnormalities. After obtaining the results of the biopsies, the unaffected embryos are transferred to the patient, usually on day 5.